On August 6, 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed making sweeping changes to Head Start, the early childhood education program. Launched 60 years ago to combat systemic inequality to Black communities in the Deep South, Head Start has reached over 40 million Americans. Head Start has expanded into a vital nationwide program that provides critical educational, health, and language-access support. Currently it serves more than 750,000 children annually, including many who are experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or have disabilities. This also crucially includes rural, immigrant, and Limited English Proficient (LEP) households.
The second Trump administration has launched a series of attacks on Head Start, and this time claiming they want to “modernize” Head Start, but really, they are trying to destroy what makes the program unique. They want to do away with many of the standards and requirements that guide Head Start programs, allowing them to provide high-quality, comprehensive services including but not limited to:
- Eliminating required meetings between teachers and families,
- Weakening deadlines for health and development screenings,
- Removing child-teacher ratio requirements that support safe, high-quality classroom environments, and
- Requiring all instruction take place in English, ending dual language programs.
These proposed changes threaten the very foundation of Head Start. But we can fight back.
Submit a public comment before October 6, 2026, and tell the federal government that you care about maintaining the standards and quality of Head Start.
If you are a Head Start parent, educator, alum, provider, community member, advocate or simply someone who believes every child deserves a strong start, your voice and experience matters.
How Does This Affect Us In Washington?
At OneAmerica, we oppose these changes.
Our immigrant parent leaders, workers, and childcare providers organize for affordable and culturally relevant childcare and early learning programs.
Of the children served by Head Start in Washington state, nearly 14% are on individualized education programs (IEPs), over 74% are children of color, nearly 42% speak a primary language other than English at home, and over half are dual language learners. Head Start ensures that these families receive intensive language support in 46 different languages.
Some examples:
With a large population of low-income Mandarin-speaking immigrants from China in Seattle, Head Start agencies tailor their programs and services to Mandarin Chinese-speaking students and families, such as celebrating the Lunar New Year.
In Yakima, Washington Head Start members serve migrant farm worker families and provide them culturally relevant curriculum and offerings in a family’s home language of Spanish.
And, in Skagit County, Head Start agencies serve a larger number of Ukrainian refugees families, many of whom are dealing with the trauma of coming from a war-torn country.
Requiring English-only instructions would undermine the ability of immigrant families to acquire English language skills, deter eligible immigrants from participating in the program, and reduce children’s overall academic achievement.
To learn more, visit the Washington State Association of Head Start & ECEAP.
Take Action
Step 1: Write your comment.
We’ve set up the comment generator below to help you get started. However, the most impactful public comments are personalized. Share your story, expertise, and concerns in your comment.
Some example prompts:
- How would changing Head Start impact you, your family, or someone else in your community?
- How have you, your children, or your family benefited from Head Start?
- How would mandating English-only instruction and ending dual language instruction impact you, your family, and/or other immigrants in the community?
- If you don’t have a personal story, share how the proposed changes will impact parents and children broadly, and why access to high-quality early childhood education matter to you.
Step 2: Submit your comment.
Copy the comment into a blank document, edit and tailor it to your personal experiences and circumstances, and submit it on regulations.gov. Comments can be submitted anonymously, but you do need an email address.
Comments are due by October 6, 2026 at 8:59 PM PDT/11:59 PM EDT.
Please note: Individuals who wish to submit an anonymous comment can so directly during final submission of their comment.
Keep reading to learn more about public comments
Public Comment 101
When federal agencies change policies, they must allow the public to comment on how this will affect them. Typically, this means the public gets 30 to 60 days to submit comments.
Comments are important for two key reasons:
First, they give the agency more information and insight as to how the regulations will affect them. In previous administrations, for agencies staffed by people who care about the impact of their work on communities, this is a critical step to gather information.
Second, comments are public record. Even if the agency ignores the comments and enacts the rule anyway, an ensuing lawsuit can use the comments as proof that the agency did not take public will into account.
Anyone can submit a comment – including people who are not citizens yet.
The one thing you do need is an email address.
The most effective comments are the ones that you make your own. The best comments share how this rule change affects you, your family, or someone you know. Share your story and personalize your comments.
Be clear about the specific harm caused be a rule change you’re opposing.
Also know duplicative comments will be deleted, so only submit your comment once.
Finally, your voice matters. Submitting a public comment is one way to have yours heard.
Step 1: Write your comment. For the rules listed below, we have comment generators that can help, but feel free to make it your own!
Step 2: Submit your comment on regulations.gov. Copy your comment from the generator, make any edits you’d like, and then submit it as an individual.
Sample Public Comments
Need some more inspiration?
Here are some actual comments that were submitted opposing these fee increases. Note that they are all different lengths, and they each sound unique.
Example 1:
The proposed changes to Head Start hurt the most vulnerable in our society. Head Start provides the academic foundation and base for children to build on. Eliminating this program will only further burden and add to other difficulties these kids and their families already have. This can severely limit the potential for children to break the chains of poverty. This is not only a problem for children and their families but to communities as whole. I highly urge that we stop progress of this harmful changes to a program who has shown that it works.
Example 2:
Please do NOT gut Head Start program. It has been working for many, many years and provides support for low income families. It is a BIG need especially as families struggle to make ends meet. This program helps poor families with child care so they can work and contribute to society and pay taxes for government programs like Head Start. There is no reason to end this program or gut is funding. STOP this conversation now and keep Head Start as it was planned. Thank you
Example 3:
Keep Head Start safe.
Support OneAmerica’s Work with Early Childhood Education, Children, and Families
OneAmerica has been a key influencer in early childhood education in Washington State since 2012. In addition to providing adult English and leadership classes, we play a unique and critical role in the field by building a grassroots base of immigrant parent and provider leaders across Washington state ready to take action on early childhood issues and bringing the priorities of immigrant families and communities of color– who have historically not had a voice at the table — into early learning decision making spaces. To learn more about our work, visit our Education & Early Learning and English Innovations pages, and learn more about our Child Care Campaign.